Painting completed in: 2006

This Painting was printed as my annual Christmas Gift Print that was sent to everyone who has made a purchase in the last three years! Shortly after Martha and I purchased the Ranch we traded Art for Ten Longhorn Calves and Four Horses. Being new to Ranching we had a fantasy of riding the range on horseback and working Cattle or just going for pleasure rides. We soon found out that although the Longhorns proved to be almost trouble free, the Horses were a different story. Reality was, that with our busy schedule, we rode horseback less and less until the Horses didn't want to be ridden any more and each time we tried to ride them it became a new adventure. The Two Horses in this painting, "looking so contented" were young mares and one was sure that if she wanted to change pastures all she had to do was run thru the Barbed Wire Fence, which often called for Veterinary Services. All four Horses had a talent for finding nails and other sharp objects and we frequently has small scale Rodeos removing nails from their hooves. One day I had enlisted the help of a Professional Cowboy to extract a nail from a hoof and in the process remarked to him that since we weren't riding our Horses that maybe we should sell them. He told me that he bought and sold Horses and made me an offer and before he came to his senses we had them all loaded in his trailer and Martha and I were "looking so contented" as we watched them ride off into the Sunset!